Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3
The Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B42, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,963 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 5… Qc7 (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.45 (Stockfish, depth 59; best line 5… Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qe2 d6 8. c4)
- ECO
- B42
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/1p1p1ppp/p3p3/8/3NP3/3B4/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 96 | |
| 1500-1999 | 782 | |
| 2000+ | 1,085 | |
| All | 1,963 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Qc7 | 750 (38%) | |
| 5… Nf6 | 288 (15%) | |
| 5… b5 | 281 (14%) | |
| 5… Nc6 | 223 (11%) | |
| 5… Bc5 Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation | 216 (11%) | |
| 5… d6 | 69 (4%) | |
| 5… Ne7 | 32 (2%) | |
| 5… g6 Kan Variation, Swiss Cheese Variation | 30 (2%) |
Master games
6,854 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 21%, Black 34%). The strongest:
- LCZero v0.24-sv-t60-3010 (3958) – KomodoMCTS 2503.05 (3809) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-04-06
- KomodoMCTS 2503.05 (3809) – LCZero v0.24-sv-t60-3010 (3958) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-04-02
- Houdini 6.03 (3854) – Stoofvlees II a14 (3846) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-29
- Stoofvlees II a14 (3846) – Houdini 6.03 (3854) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-25
- LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-22
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- kuhmft (2812) – puziko52 (2836) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- kuhmft (2881) – IM SHREKDAVID (2752) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- HighQualityO (2700) – IM shuriks91 (2845) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Polugaevsky Variation B42 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Swiss Cheese Variation B42 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 g6
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Gipslis Variation B42 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O d6 7. c4 g6
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.